Letters to the editor: Initiatives, broadband, attorney general, electric vehicles, farmworkers
Initiative process
Dear Gov. Little,
Who do you serve, the Idaho legislature or the people of Idaho?
In a 2020 Boise State University survey, over 80% of Idahoans said they believe the initiative process is difficult enough. This included 68% of Idaho Republicans.
Yet Idaho’s legislature passed SB1110, which would make it virtually impossible for volunteers to qualify an initiative for the ballot. I know this is true because I participated in the monumental volunteer effort to get Medicaid Expansion on the ballot. But the crafters of this bill didn’t ask volunteers, because SB1110 is simply a blatant attempt to sabotage citizens’ constitutional right to make law by ballot initiative. It’s another unconstitutional power grab by the Idaho legislature.
The claim that this bill would give rural voters more of a voice is laughable. SB1110 would silence all voters because they would never get the opportunity to vote on any true grassroots initiative. Only special interest groups with millions of dollars would be able to qualify initiatives for the ballot.
We the people appreciate your wisdom in vetoing a similar anti-initiative bill in 2019. We implore you to remember who you serve and veto SB1110.
Sam Sandmire, Boise
Expand broadband
For years, I’ve worked from home as a computer engineer. Last year, CenturyLink installed fiber-optic internet within a half-mile of my cabin outside Placerville. This allowed me to work from my cabin for most of 2020. I began upgrading my cabin and hired nine local craftsmen. That is the impact of one remote worker living in your community. Reliable broadband would help bring new residents and resources to parts of Idaho that have been declining in population for 50-plus years.
With Idaho cities and counties receiving an estimated $576 million in ARPA funds, expanding broadband in rural Idaho must be a priority. Despite millions of dollars coming, rural communities won’t see a dime if broadband planning doesn’t happen. This is a major challenge for many communities, and support is needed to assist them to prepare for federal funds. For this reason, I joined the Imagine Idaho Coalition, a group of leading Idaho community leaders who are committed to providing support by working with the Governor, networking regional experts to locals, connecting communities, and removing barriers so rural areas can build much-needed broadband infrastructure which would allow all Idahoans to live and work in so many beautiful parts of Idaho.
Todd Fischer, Boise
Farm workforce
Only a tiny portion of Idaho touches the Canadian border, yet its businesses and farmers are our competitors. We should take a look at what they’re doing so we can keep up.
I recently read Canadian officials are “betting” on increased immigration to help their nation’s economy recover from the COVID recession. Washington should be taking a similar stance to help bolster our economy.
In March, House lawmakers approved the Farm Workforce Modernization Act and the American Dream and Promise Act, which would give immigrant farmworkers and Dreamers in the United States the chance to earn citizenship, and Senator Crapo is introducing the farmworker bill in the upper chamber.
According to one estimate, undocumented immigrants in the US pay 8% of their incomes in state and local taxes annually. If given the chance to become citizens, their contributions would likely increase by $2.1 billion. These two bills would affect only a sliver of the undocumented population. While it’s not a comprehensive solution, it’s a start and it would be good for our economy. If Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch want Idaho to be able to compete globally, they need to vote yes on both bills.
Judy Strickland, Meridian
Attorney General
HB101, passed by the Idaho House and now in the Senate, basically proposes limiting the Attorney General’s representation of state agencies. The House also killed the appropriations for the AG’s office, presumably hoping for a lower amount. Either action is bad for the state.
I worked for the AG’s office from 1975 through 2006. In 1975, we were mostly new law school graduates who agreed to stay for two years and learn to practice law. Our “learning” was often at state expense.
Over time, with legislative support, the AG’s office was transformed into a career organization, with great cost savings and better legal results. That included consolidating legal services under the AG’s office, meaning advice was based on legislative policy and state statutes, rather than on what agencies wanted to do.
Some legislators are irked that Mr. Wasden gives them advice they don’t like and won’t file ill-advised lawsuits. To him, good service means telling clients what they need to hear, rather than what they want to hear. HB101 is a “kill the messenger” reaction. Idaho now has a superb legal institution that benefits the Legislature and all Idaho citizens and it would be a shame to go backwards.
David High, Boise
Electric vehicles
Not sure how Rep. Joe Palmer came up with his formula for increasing the registration fees on electric vehicles. This increased fee is supposedly needed so that electric vehicle owners pay an amount in line with what internal combustion engine owners pay in gas taxes. The gas tax and this added registration fee would be used for road infrastructure.
Mr. Palmer suggests the average motorist drives 12,000-15,000 miles a year in an auto that gets 20 mpg. A quick Google search suggests the average motorist drives 13,500 miles a year in an auto that gets 25 mpg. The Idaho gas tax is 33 cents per gallon.
My calculus is (13.5K / 25) x $0.33 = $178. Electric vehicle owners already pay an additional electric fee of $140, so an increase of $40 would be more in line with getting electric vehicle and internal combustion engine owners to par -- significantly less than $160 increase Rep. Palmer suggests.
Also, if the calculation is based on 20 mpg (or heck 25 mpg), doesn’t that suggest that owners of cars getting greater mpg are also not paying their fair share? How are you going to get them to cough up? The Legislature needs to sharpen their pencil on this idea.
Kevin Klein, Boise